Impact of telehealth on pediatric asthma management during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed for telehealth services at an unprecedentedly rapid pace, thereby providing a golden opportunity to test the fruits of telehealth service delivery within the context of chronic care, such as pediatric asthma management. This paper therefore takes a broader view and places much emphasis on the role-triangulation that might be played by telehealth in comparison with in-person visits in the management of pediatric asthma. A retrospective cohort study design was used to collect data for 250 pediatric asthma patients. Of these, 125 underwent telehealth consultations, while the remaining 125 did so in person. Metrics obtained for analysis were the frequency of asthma exacerbations, emergency visits, hospitalizations, medication adherence, and patient/parent satisfaction. The team of researchers observed that there was a significant reduction in emergency visits to the department and hospitalizations in the telehealth group. The adherence to medication was also comparable, it so happened, which resulted in very encouraging satisfaction levels for the patients and parents. However, a few issues were noticed, such as access to technology, and in the sphere of communication, there were a few glitches. : The practice of telehealth is a feasible and effective strategy for the management of pediatric asthma. This setting allows convenience with decreased infection rates. However, technological barriers need to be addressed if the diffusion is to broaden across the population and equal opportunities for access to remote health care are to be created. Introduction